GASGAS rider Korey McMahon earned a double podium result in rounds five and six of the 2022 Australian Off-Road Championship in Mendooran, NSW, this weekend in another convincing effort.
Racing a GASGAS EC 250F in the highly-competitive E1 class, McMahon leapt to the front of the field from the first sprint test and led until halfway through the day before an issue saw him drop more than a minute to his rivals. He fought back in the closing stages to salvage third.
The bittersweet feeling continued into Sunday’s sixth round as McMahon mastered the fast, rough, sandy conditions to win four of the five tests on one track, but frustratingly experienced transponder troubles on the second track and was given a manual time.
At the end of the day’s hard racing that saw a number of racers experience crashes and mechanical issues, the 20-year-old finished just two seconds off the E1 class victory.
The weekend was a remarkable one for talented youngster Kodi Stephens on his GASGAS, who charged to victory in the EJ class at the conclusion of both Saturday and Sunday's action.
Rounds seven and eight of the AORC will be held in Nowra, NSW, on 6-7 August, where the riders will again face sprint formats over the two days of competition.
Korey McMahon: “Looking at the big picture it was a pretty good weekend, but it’s bittersweet too. Yesterday I was running comfortably in first until a technical issue cost me. By the time I got going I lost a lot of time, but I was happy to work my way back onto the day’s podium. Today I felt like I rode really strongly and won four of the five tests on one track, but I had transponder issues on the second track and was given a manual time that was 15 seconds slower than Kyron [Bacon] - it was frustrating as I felt I was closer than that. The fast, rough conditions were gnarly today, but I enjoyed it and think it’s great to visit a new venue that sorts everyone out.”